Keepsafe’s Fake PIN lets you open a second, harmless version of your photo vault with a different code, so you can show someone the app without exposing what you actually keep in it. Keepsafe’s own help center now calls this feature Decoy Vault, while the Google Play listing still uses the older “Fake Pin” label. This guide explains how it works, what the official documentation confirms, and where its limits are.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Keepsafe Fake PIN?
- Fake PIN vs. Decoy Vault: Same Feature, Two Names
- Is Fake PIN a Free Feature?
- How to Turn On the Decoy Vault
- What to Put in the Decoy Vault
- How the Decoy Vault Interacts With Other Features
- What the Fake PIN Does Not Do
- Who Is the Fake PIN Useful For?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Like the rest of our independent privacy app guides, this article is based on research into Keepsafe’s official help center and app store listings. We are not affiliated with Keepsafe and have not run the feature on our own devices, so treat the steps below as a summary of the official documentation.
What Is the Keepsafe Fake PIN?
According to Keepsafe’s help center, Decoy Vault “allows you to create a second Keepsafe gallery, which you can access with a different PIN.” The stated purpose is simple: if you ever need to show someone your Keepsafe account, you can open the decoy gallery instead of your real one.
The Google Play listing describes the same idea under the name “Fake Pin,” saying it “creates a decoy Keepsafe with a separate PIN code.” The Keepsafe Premium overview on the help center puts it more bluntly, describing it as a second gallery “for when you get forced to open Keepsafe.”
In practice, that means you end up with two codes:
- Your real PIN, which opens your actual private vault.
- Your decoy PIN, which opens a separate gallery that you fill with whatever you are comfortable showing.
If you are new to the app itself, our explainer on what the Keepsafe photo vault is covers the basics of how the vault, PIN and encryption fit together.
Fake PIN vs. Decoy Vault: Same Feature, Two Names
The naming can be confusing, so here is how the terms line up across official sources at the time of writing:
| Source | Name used | How it is described |
|---|---|---|
| Keepsafe help center | Decoy Vault | A second Keepsafe gallery accessed with a different PIN |
| Keepsafe Premium overview (help center) | Decoy Vault | A second gallery with a separate PIN for when you are forced to open the app |
| Google Play listing | Fake Pin | Creates a decoy Keepsafe with a separate PIN code |
| Plan requirement | Premium | The help center lists Decoy Vault as a Premium feature |
If you search the help center, look for “Decoy Vault.” That is the term the current support articles use.
Is Fake PIN a Free Feature?
No. Keepsafe’s help center states that Decoy Vault “is a Premium feature in Keepsafe,” and the Google Play listing places Fake Pin under its “Keepsafe Premium photo locker exclusive features.” Basic (free) users should not expect to see it working without upgrading.
Plan names, trial offers and pricing can change and may differ by region and platform, so check the subscription screen inside the app or the official listings before you decide. If you are still weighing the upgrade, compare Decoy Vault against the other paid features listed on the help center, such as Album Lock, Trash Recovery and extra cloud storage.
How to Turn On the Decoy Vault
Keepsafe’s help center gives the same steps for iOS and Android at the time of writing:
- Open the Keepsafe app and go to Settings, which the help center places in the bottom left corner.
- Go to “Decoy Vault.”
- Toggle the switch to enable the feature.
- Confirm your real PIN, then create your new decoy PIN.
Once it is enabled, the help center says you simply enter your decoy PIN on the normal Keepsafe PIN screen to open the decoy gallery. There is no separate icon or app; the PIN you type decides which gallery opens.
App layouts change between versions, so if your screen does not match these steps, check Keepsafe’s help center for the current instructions.
Choosing a good decoy PIN
A few practical points to keep in mind when you pick the second code:
- Make it clearly different from your real PIN. If the two codes are very similar, it is easy to open the wrong gallery by accident.
- Make it something you will remember. A decoy only helps if you can type it calmly under pressure.
- Do not reuse it elsewhere. Avoid your phone unlock code, bank PIN or any code someone may already know.
What to Put in the Decoy Vault
An empty decoy gallery can look suspicious. The point of the feature is that the second vault looks believable, so many users add a small set of ordinary images, such as screenshots, receipts, landscape photos or saved memes.
Keep anything genuinely private out of the decoy. Treat it as content you would be comfortable showing anyone who insists on seeing your vault.
Moving items between the decoy and real vault
The two galleries are kept separate. According to Keepsafe’s help center, if you want to move items from the decoy gallery to the real one, you first need to export (unhide) them back to your device and then import them into your real Keepsafe vault. There is no documented one-tap transfer between the two.
Remember that exporting returns files to your phone’s regular gallery, where they are no longer protected by Keepsafe. Move them back into the real vault promptly, and then check whether you need to remove the copies left in your normal photo library. Our guide on hiding private photos on your phone explains how system galleries and “Recently Deleted” folders can keep extra copies.
How the Decoy Vault Interacts With Other Features
Keepsafe’s documentation confirms a few connections between Decoy Vault and other parts of the app:
- Album passwords. The help center notes that using the “unlock all albums” option for forgotten album passwords unlocks all locked albums, “including the ones in your Decoy Vault.” So album locks in the decoy follow the same reset process as the real vault.
- Intruder (break-in) alerts. These are a separate Premium feature that photographs anyone who enters an incorrect PIN. A correct decoy PIN is not an incorrect PIN, so you should not assume it will trigger an alert. Our article on Keepsafe break-in alerts explains how that feature is documented.
- Secret Door. On Android only, Premium users can disguise the app as a calculator or virus scanner, according to the help center. This can be combined with a decoy PIN as another layer, though they are separate settings.
One thing we could not confirm from official sources is whether decoy vault content syncs to Keepsafe’s private cloud in the same way as your real vault, or how it counts toward your storage quota. If backup of decoy items matters to you, ask Keepsafe support directly.
What the Fake PIN Does Not Do
It helps to be realistic about what a decoy vault is designed for. Based on the official descriptions, it is a social privacy tool, not a technical security barrier.
- It does not replace a strong real PIN. Your actual vault is still protected by your real PIN or biometric unlock, as described in Keepsafe’s data protection article.
- It does not hide that Keepsafe is installed (unless you also use Secret Door on Android).
- It does not protect you if someone already knows your real PIN. If your real code has been seen, change it.
- It is not a recovery method. If you forget your real PIN, the decoy PIN will not get you into the real vault. Keepsafe’s reset process uses an access code sent to your verified email, which we cover in our guide to a forgotten Keepsafe PIN.
For definitions of terms like “decoy,” “encryption at rest” and “biometric authentication,” see our privacy and security glossary.
Who Is the Fake PIN Useful For?
Users commonly mention a few situations where a decoy vault makes sense:
- You share a phone or tablet with family members who know the app exists.
- You worry about being pressured to “just show” what is in the app.
- You keep sensitive documents, such as ID scans, and want a quick way to avoid opening them in front of others.
If none of these apply, the feature may not be worth paying for on its own. Our full Keepsafe review looks at how Decoy Vault fits alongside the other Premium tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keepsafe Fake PIN the same as Decoy Vault?
Yes. The Google Play listing calls it “Fake Pin,” while Keepsafe’s help center calls it Decoy Vault. Both describe a second gallery opened with a separate PIN.
Can someone tell they are in the decoy vault?
The official documentation does not say whether the decoy gallery looks identical to the real one in every detail. What it does say is that you open it from the normal PIN screen. Filling it with ordinary content makes it more believable.
Does the Fake PIN work on the free plan?
According to Keepsafe’s help center and Google Play listing, Decoy Vault is a Premium feature. Plan details can change, so confirm in the app before upgrading.
What happens if I forget my decoy PIN?
Keepsafe’s help center does not publish a separate reset process for the decoy PIN that we could confirm. Your real PIN should still open your real vault, and you can check the Decoy Vault settings or contact Keepsafe support for help.
Conclusion
The Keepsafe Fake PIN is a simple idea: two codes, two galleries. Set it up from the Decoy Vault settings, fill it with harmless content, and keep your real PIN private. Just remember that it is a Premium extra for awkward moments, not a substitute for a strong PIN, a verified email and regular backups. For anything that looks different in your version of the app, Keepsafe’s help center is the best place to check.
